Lunes, Enero 14, 2013

How to Use a Locksmith Repair System to Replace Door Lock Parts

Contrary
to popular belief, you can repair and replace many door lock parts on your own,
without having to hire a locksmith. All you need is a Locksmith Repair
System.

LatchesThe portion of the door
that extends into the door frame through the strike plate is called a latch.
Latches may become sticky, broken or dysfunctional after years of protecting
you from intruders. For added security, you may want to replace a flexible
latch with a deadbolt or a positive locking latch since standard latches can be
forced open easily.

Note that individual
latches cannot be bought at a standard home improvement hardware store.
However, you may always order them online, or find them at a specialty store that
caters to any locksmith. Victoria has locksmiths that point out the fact
that replacing latches using alocksmith repair system is very simple.
All you need to do is to bring the old one with you, or know the style and type
of the old latch.

Strike PlatesThe strike plate is the
component of the lock that attaches to the door frame. The door lock only
secures or will have positive closure when the latch goes through the strike
plate. Since strike plates come in different shapes and sizes, distinguishing
whether its opening is rounded, squared or flat on one side and rounded on the
other is very important. The latch that goes into the strike plate will depend
on its shape.

Note that the exterior
shape of the strike plate will vary according to the aesthetic features of the
door lock. Always remember that the exterior feature is less important to the
function of the lock than the interior shape. Since it only needs two screws to
mount into the door frame, the strike plate is the easiest portion of the lock
to change and doesn’t require the help of a locksmith. Lee-made strike
plates are similar to latches in a sense that they are not sold separately, but
instead as parts of a lockset at hardware stores. However, online retailers and
specialty hardware stores will sell them separately.

CylindersThe lock cylinder is the
heart of the door lock. Cylinders are parts of a lock that contain the
‘combination’ for the key and regulate whether the door locks or unlocks. There
are different methods for changing the cylinder in a door knob, suggests a
renowned locksmith. Feltham has locksmiths that would rather opt for
re-keying the cylinder rather than replacing it, if a new lock is needed when
the key to the door is lost.

You may need to replace
the entire cylinder rather than just easily re-keying it when a cylinder is
sticking, has a broken-off key stuck in it or is damaged. You can purchase a
brand-specific locksmith repair system to rekey a cylinder. If you only
have a single door that needs to be re-keyed, a more economical option is to
call a locksmith. Dulwich locksmiths will only charge about £7 and may
be a better choice.